82-year-old great grandmother gets down with local MPs at ParkLives Zumba session outside Houses of Parliament

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82-year-old great grandmother gets down with local MPs at ParkLives Zumba session outside Houses of Parliament

When we say ParkLives is for people of all ages and abilities, we really mean it. Joyce Belton, an 82-year-old great grandmother from London, has become a minor celebrity at her local Zumba class, and now she’s showing MPs how it’s done too!

It all started after Joyce’s husband passed away eight years ago. She found herself alone in her apartment in Plaistow, east London. Back in the day, they would enjoy line dancing together, and the time would fly past. Now, she relies on her local leisure centre to help her get out the house and meet new people.

“I’ve been doing Zumba for five years,” says Joyce, who's taking a well-deserved break from an outdoor Zumba class outside the Houses of Parliament, during a particularly special ParkLives session.

Joyce has two sons, four grandchildren and six great grandchildren. But, despite a large and loving family, she admits that they’ve yet to join her on the dance floor.

“They get embarrassed, and cringe,” she laughs. There’s a certain confidence and resilience that runs through Joyce, qualities one might say that come with age and experience.